"We want a house (hand)gun."

[Mr. 16 gauge]

I must agree....for home defense, esp. with people who are unfamiliar with firearms, shotguns are probably the way to go......my grandfather never had a handgun (he never saw the 'need'), yet when the dogs started barking in the middle of the night, the shotgun was pulled out until it was determined o.k. to be put back.
In addition to requiring a great deal of practice, handgun ammo in all calibers is very difficult to come by now.....stopped at the local sporting goods store to get some fishing tackle and a new pair of cleats for my daughter.....the only handgun ammo on hand (limited to three boxes), was .44 magnum....NO .38, .357, .380, 9mm, 40 S&W, .25, or 45 on the shelves.....they were BARE!!! However, there was a decent supply of shotshell ammo.
However, were I to recommend a handgun for home defense for someone w/o firearm experience, I would suggest a revolver with a 4" barrel in .38 or .357 mag.

Revolvers.....the original "point and click" interface!